Chloe Turned 18 and We Partied!

What a weekend! We celebrated that we have got our first born to adulthood with only a few scrapes and broken bones along the way.  My little 7lb9 bundle of joy, born at the dawn of a new millennium reached adulthood this week. Chloe has grown to a 5ft8 beauty who makes us proud every day.

We wanted to party and started thinking about 18th birthday party ideas. Whilst initially we considered hiring somewhere, Chloe then announced she wanted to party at home.  I loved this idea because I too like a party.  We decided an open house approach was the best and then we drew up a list of who we wanted to celebrate with us. The benefits of an open house is how informal it is.  Everyone mingled more, chatted more and it was a relaxed affair. The disadvantage can be that it costs more.  I spent a significant amount on alcohol to make sure we had enough. There is obviously no bar and pay for your own drinks.  We didn’t need a disco though, instead, Chloe made a playlist for Alexa.

There was a list of about 70 people and so we started by grouping people together.  Invites were printed and sent but we gave different times to different groups of people.  This meant we managed to have that many people in the house during the afternoon/evening.  We were able to spend time with everyone which was what Chloe wanted.

I also thought it would manage what Chloe drank, although my gorgeous cousin was demanding Chloe do shots at 3 in the afternoon! I will get my own back by getting her boys the nosiest presents I can for their next birthdays!

To make catering easy I just bought in platters of sandwiches and snacks that were all pre-made and arranged on boards. All I need to do then was bring more out as required.  I put all the drinks in the kitchen and again was able to hire glasses from Morrisons, who offer this for free.  You simply order in store and pay a £20 deposit which you get back when you return the glasses.  I borrowed 200 glasses and it was perfect for what we needed.

The showstopper was a gorgeous rainbow cake made by a friends mum. We shared this with family and friends all day.

Even the macaroons were homemade.  It was delicious and we can’t thank our friends mum Ange enough!

Chloe’s girl friends arrived about 8pm and they partied in the house too.  They were amazing company and I am so pleased that she has such a wonderful tribe around her.  It was great to see them having such fun.  Chloe also planned to go clubbing at 11pm and this gave a natural end to the loud part of the party! I’m sure the neighbours were pleased to see them all leaving at a respectable hour!  Watching Chloe’s uncle dancing with Chloe and her friends was a highlight and proved that multi-generational parties can work brilliantly.

Watching your child pass yet another milestone like driving milestones is emotional and this morning I am feeling reflective of all the changes to come.  We are preparing ahead for University and its definitely going to be tearful.  Both Chloe and myself cried because of a card Erin had made her big sister.  This vlog below shows their bond and just gives a glimpse of how we celebrated her actual birthday.

This weekend is one to remember and we want to thank everyone for joining us.

Sharing is caring!